The Changing Arena of Latin Jazz

Concert - When many people think about Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes to mind, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is actually taking care of of this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people around the party area for a long time with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a spot in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing number of artists have abandoned the oasis for various cultural and artistic influences. These days, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from a broader spectrum of the Caribbean and Latin america, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Carnegie Hall - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a large part within the increase of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles like the festejo and landó into the style also a more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has evolved a unique approach with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it's only recently been that artists have put a distinct emphasis upon the concept of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez provides his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs being a foundation for jazz.

Argentina happens to be known for it's passionate tango, and lots of musicians have realized that music is a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has produced a unique language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler continues the task of influential composer Astor Piazzolla having a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often look at the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim when they think about the mixture of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, nevertheless the style is continuing to grow into something far more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has generated upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and designed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a brand new York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Herb Alpert - The oasis is unquestionably still a part of Latin Jazz - just hear the music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo for a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design and style has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a far more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners a more diverse experience.